Wait.

...Huh? What, what was that last thi-,

Nibble. Nibble nibble nibble nibble nibble NIBBLE-,

Shit shit shit fUCK-,

In a split moment I decide to flee, but it’s too late. Their tiny nibbling mandibles have already pierced one of my tentacles, bringing it to the brink of being ripped off fully. Two have started on another one, and without two tentacles, I’d have no chance to escape. It is kill or be killed. In a feeble attempt to shake them off, I try lifting the two almost-eaten tentacles, but it is useless; they stick to it like glue.

Even then, I try using my still-unchained arms to remove some of the bugs, neutralizing them by sticking them in my mouth. It doesn’t help much, but chewing them to death does make me feel a bit better.

9 -> 19

One of my tentacles is ripped off.

Eleven of the 34 insects swarm around it, nibbling and eating like it’s their first or last meal. The rest focus on me, most of them attacking my other almost-ripped-off arm while many took to eating at the socket left by my tentacle. In the meantime, I fruitlessly tried to shuffle more and more of the insects into my mouth, but I barely made a dent in the full mass of them swarming around me. Every time I reach down to grab an insect, yet another one takes hold of my tentacle. I eat them both, but every new insect takes another part of my tentacle with it, and in the full of it, my regeneration can’t keep up in the least.

19 -> 44

Shit, shit, shit, I’m being outmanned, I can’t possibly eat enough to stall them before they eat whatever part is keeping me alive, and, worst of all, I can’t even feel the pain from this, so I can’t even appreciate my own death! How is that even supposed to be fair? And it’s not like I can even-,

Upgrade Regeneration? Cost: 20 (you have 44)

...Why, yes, thank you, I would love that.

44 -> 24

I can feel it the instant it takes hold. The areas of my body on the verge of being consumed, the open flesh, slowly starts knitting together, reforming into functional flesh, regaining their lost purpose, gaining-,

Ah, no, wait, it just got nibbled again.

...The battle continues!

So I say as I shove another insect down my throat, followed closely by another.

24 -> 59

Only eleven insects remain nibbling at my limbs and body, and for once, it almost seems like I have the upper hand. But the moment I grab another one, the tide changes.

Nibble?

The eleven insects that had previously been eating away at my amputated tentacle have apparently finished their meal and now turn to greener fields. Namely, my perfectly eligible virgin body. Oh lord have mercy.

in a fit of panic, I shovel at least three more of the insects close to me into my mouth, but even then, I am overrun.

59 -> 74

They attack each of my four limbs. Tearing through the flesh. Bringing me to my knees. Two of my eyes are blocked out by endless black bodies. I can feel how one of these two is eaten. Mandibles dig into it. Shuffling pieces of me inside it. I can feel it completely. No pain. Only immense discomfort. No great irritation. Just a sinking feeling that this might be the last thing I see.

Upgrade Regeneration? Cost: 50 (you have 79)

...If it’ll save me, then so be it.

79 -> 29

Vision returns, and so does my burning fire.

Hell no I’m not dying on some fuckin astroid out in the middle of space!!

Fuck these bastards and fuck this astroid!

Although my limbs are half-eaten and although one of my eyes has yet to regenerate, I still fight. I lift my heavy body, Take grip with two of my still somewhat intact tentacles. Dig into the dirt and stone. Lift up the other half. I can feel how some insects tumble off my body as half of it rises. I rise up, up up. Soon I’m almost standing over the massive collection of insects. They are below me. I am above. My mouth quivers, and I let myself fall upon them.

Some try to crawl away from under me, but many, far too many, are caught beneath me. Beneath my mouth. I move and I shuffle and pull the insects inside my mouth.

Chomp chomp crunch!

29 -> 84

I roll over, grabbing a hold of as many insects as I can hold, namely: three. I stuff them in my mouth.

84 -> 99

Five remain. They are at my sides.

None of them are so much as trying to eat me. A moment passes in silence as my body quickly recovers, three of my tentacles returning to pristine condition.

Two attack, but without the advantage of numbers, I shovel them into my mouth all the same.

99 -> 109

The remaining three make haste to flee, but they don’t run. No, for a moment, I’m enthralled by how their abdomens split open and a string-like thing explodes from out of them, spreading out wide. One of these hits a smaller asteroid whizzing past, and so, the insect flies away with it.

The other two must be planning the same thing, but I’m not allowing it!

With my first feeling of genuine bloodthirst, I throw myself at them, stuffing one into my mouth before I’ve even gotten my hands on the other, which disappears just as quickly.

109 -> 119

...It’s over.